Operating cars on tramways or railways



LaF. PARKER. Operatingv Cars on Tramways' or Railways No. 224,347. Patented Feb. 10,188OQ' N.PETER5 PHD f UNITE STATES, OFFICE.

L F YETTE PARKER, 01? DAVENPORT, IowA. Z

OPERATING CARQS N TRA 'MWAYS-OR"RAILW AYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent .No. 224,347, dated February 10, 1880.

' V Application filed March 12, 1879; V I

d To all 'tvhom it may concewtr 1 7 Be it known that I, LA FAYETTE PAR ER,

' of the city of Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements for Operating Cars on Tram or' RaiLWays; and 1 do hereby declare that the following is a full description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making .part'of this specification, and ,to' the letters of reference marked thereon, like letters having reference A to like parts wherever they occur.

To enable those skilled in the art to use my running of cars on tram or rail ways without the passage of horses or'steam through the streets where they are objectionable, as well as to cheapen the cost of operating such-ways.

Figure 1 of drawings hereto annexed is a view from above of the body, wheels, and

gear of my car on the track as constructed. Fig. 2 is a side view of the samewith a section left out, so as to expose sprocket-wheel B, brake N, lever D, and chain 0.

, 1n constructinginy tram or rail way, I do it in the ordinary manner of a double-track.

railway, except that I place midway between the tracks two parallel timbers or iron bars, forming a slotted channel with opening sufficient to receive teeth of sprocket-wheel, fitted for the purpose at such a distance apart as will receive a chain of size and strength to draw the cars. Between these. timbers I place a chain'on rollers, covering the opening, except about an inch in the center to receive the sprocket-wheel B, with strapsof iron tight, or vice versa. This sprocket-wheel is of size to reach into links of chain, and is free to revolve by movement of chain when car is standing still.- I also place, in connection with both axle-trees, inclosing sprocketwheel B, as seen in Fig. 1, yoke E, extending to front of car to receive screw-shaft w. Yoke E is loose on. axle-tree. Attached to this yoke E, by means of the bifurcated lever D,

are two brake-straps, N N, passing around be drawn forward by means of chain, if in motiom by the then rigid sprocket-wheel B.

i I The general operation of my tram or rail way is as follows: The car being on the track, -and the spurs of the sprocket-wheel B being in the links of the chainO, and motion imparted to chain by stationary engines turning Windlass at the end of the track, the brake is applied to sprocket-wheel Bas gradually as desired, causing it to cease revolving, and thecar is drawn forward atthe speed of chain.

In order to stop the car the brake is loosened on sprocket-wheel and the ordinary brake is applied tocar-wheels. h

At the end of the route the double track unites in a single track, oiito which the car runs beyond the Windlass by its momentum, where it may be turned around or not, as desired.

The railroad-track is raised near the end of chain or before Windlass is reached, so that sprocket-wheel is raised out of links of chain, and when it comes down the same incline to start out the wheel is taken by the chain when it reaches it. This is facilitated by the chain being suspended on rollers that will give to pressure for a little way.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. The combination of the toothed wheel with traction-chain traveling in the slotted channel in the roadway and a brake mechanism, s'ubstantially as described. 2.. The combination of the yoke E upon the caraxles with brake straps N, bifurcated brake-lever D, sprocket-wheel B, and traveling chain, all substantially as described.

3. The combination of the toothed sprocketloo wheel B with the bifurcated lever D, the

brake-flanges B, brake-straps N N, and vertical screw-shaft :20, all substantially as shown and described. Attest: LA FAYETTE PARKER.

M. E. PARKER,

H. P. W. OLosE. 

